Honeysuckle
by Mr. Lee
Summary: We all know Haseo and Alkaid's story on the Honeysuckle Blades. But what about Haseo and Shino's? A .Hack Roots/G.U. HaseoxShino oneshot. Rated T for fluffiness and just a touch of angst.


Honeysuckle by Mr. Lee

This is a HaseoxShino one shot from .Hack Roots and just a touch of G.U.

Rated T for fluffiness and just a touch of angst

Disclaimer: This fanfiction is for entertainment purposes only. The author of this fanfiction does not own .Hack or any of its characters. .Hack Roots and G.U. is owned by Bandai Namco and .Hack Conglomerate.

Author's note: Hello everyone, this is Mr. Lee. As a few of you may know, I'm pretty well known as a fanfiction author of the anime series Naruto on this site. Rest assured my loyal fans, I haven't jump ship or anything LOL XD. But since I'm also a veteran dothacker, I decided to try a change of pace since my ideas for my Naruto stories are a little on the dry side right now.

Since late February, I've been ill and haven't been on my computer as much as I'd like. During that time of bed rest, I watched .Hack Roots for old times sake. Watching the early part of the series again and seeing the interactions between our favorite adept rogue Haseo and the Harvest Cleric with the teardrop tattoo Shino before that tragic event that started G.U. (You fellow dothackers know what I mean.), I wanted to try my luck with making a one shot between the two of them. Not only because they're very rare on the site (Apart from Hylianinja and Kish Kittie's stories, which I highly recommend.), but because I felt that their relationship wasn't really focused upon as much as the fans of the pairing would have liked (That includes me.). That's when G.U. came into play.

While playing the game, I remembered the Honeysuckle quest that you do with another popular female in G.U. and another one of my favorites, the twin blade Alkaid (In G.U., she and Shino are my favorite pairings in the game.). I remembered the flashback of when Shino gave the blades to him. With all due respect to the beautiful former emperor since I'm a staffer of the Haseo/Alkaid C2 community, I wanted to dwell on how Shino came to give the blades to him. And of course, I'm going to add my own twists and turns to this story to give it that nice fluffy touch. This story will be AU. And there may be some slight OOCness (Like Haseo having a bit of his jerky G.U. attitude.), so be prepared. Finally, I dedicate this story to my fellow dothackers and the biggest Haseo/Shino fan on the site, Hylianinja. I truly enjoyed your stories of this pairing, and I probably wouldn't have tried this were it not for you. I hope you make more in the future my friend, especially after the ending we got in G.U. (The epilogue being the only exception, which I feel is the true ending. But that's just my opinion.). Well, here goes nothing. I hope you guys like it. Enjoy :)!

_When one door of happiness closes, another opens; but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one which has opened for us- Helen Keller_

_If we deny love that is given to us, if we refuse to give love because we fear pain or loss, then our lives will be empty, our loss greater- Unknown_

_Love cannot endure indifference. It needs to be wanted. Like a lamp, it needs to fed out of the oil of another's heart, or its flame burns low- Henry Ward Beecher_

Sometimes in order to find happiness, we have to make bonds with others. For Misaki Ryou, who went by the name Haseo in the game known as The World, it's something that's not very easy for him. And who could blame him for feeling that way. For when he first logged on, the first people he enjoyed the game with turned out to be deceitful and cruel PK'ers. He truly liked his first trip to the area, learning all the rules and battling monsters as an Adept rogue. He thought that he had made his first friends in IYOTEN and Asta. But it was not meant to be, and their betrayal had hurt him, for it was a pain he was familiar with. A pain that not even a Repth spell could cure. Then his adventure became even more unorthodox when he was saved by a steam gunner who had an air of mystery surrounding him. For he was the leader of the Twilight Brigade, Ovan.

Although he was grateful for his help, Haseo didn't take any chances and kept his defenses up this time around, especially when numerous people came to him, asking what his connection was to gamer. It was becoming too much to bear for him, and once more, he was on the verge of being PK'ed again, this time by two female players who were actually male in the real world. He just wanted to quit, removing the pain of loneliness and distrust he had felt for this game and the people in it. But that all changed when he met a beautiful Harvest cleric named Shino. A young woman who would change his life forever.

After she shooed away the PK'ers, she walked up to him slowly and knelt down next to him. The beautiful girl raised her hand to reach out and touch him, but she stopped and looked at his face. She could see the look of fear and mistrust in his eyes, and it made her frown. After finding out what happened to him from her leader, she really couldn't blame him for being cautious, since all of these situations happened to him in such a short time. After taking a moment, she spoke to him as if she could read his mind.

"I know it's hard, but don't quit." Shino said in a calm voice. Haseo, who had been looking away from her turned his head just enough to see her in the corner of his eyes. Seeing this, the Harvest Cleric smiled at him. Without him realizing it, the smile eased him slightly, but he still kept his guard up.

"I don't know you, but I don't want to go on with this game." Haseo said in a defeated tone as he turned his head away again and shifted his gaze downwards. "It's so stupid…and pointless." He added.

"It's not stupid, and it's not pointless. Because, we need you Haseo…" The young woman said in a soft voice. At that moment, most of the doubt and fear he held in him vanished as he looked at her. "Welcome Haseo. Welcome to The World." She told him while still maintaining her smile. It made him gasp in surprise, and for some reason, he knew that he was blushing furiously in the real world.

"I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about." The rogue said as he turned his head away. But instead of in fear, it was in embarrassment. But when he looked at her again, she had her hand out, still keeping that gentle smile on her face. Even though Ovan said and did the same thing, despite the different environment, he felt no apprehension or skepticism from her compared to Ovan. He felt he could trust that smile and that gentle voice. And without giving it another thought, he took her hand.

That's how it started. Haseo truly wanted to quit at first, and he almost did. But he wanted to see her again, though he would never openly admit it. Even though he originally turned down her offer of joining the Twilight Brigade, it didn't change the fact that he was interested in her, even to the point of asking about her relationship with Ovan. Everyone assumed it was simply because of Ovan, but that was only partially true. And as he thought long and hard about his choices between them and TaN, who had also asked him to join, she appeared next to him in a field, enjoying the orange sky.

"Well, ask me already." Haseo said, assuming that she was going to ask him again like the others did.

"Ask what?" Shino asked as she continued to look out towards the sky.

"Never mind." He replied as he smiled. Though she did nothing but enjoy the sky, it made him happy that she respected his wishes and didn't force anything on him. Eventually, he made his choice, and joined the guild in order to find the Key of Twilight. As he spoke to Ovan after making his choice, he wanted to wait for Shino to return before he logged out for the day. When she came back to the Home, he walked up to her to tell her his decision.

"Well, Shino, I…um…joined the brigade." The Adept Rogue said in a quiet voice.

"I'm glad, Haseo. Welcome home." The Harvest Cleric responded joyfully in her sweet voice as she took his hand in hers.

"Thanks, it's…good to be home." He said as he turned his head when he started to blush, making her giggle.

As time passed, he did all that he could to help find the legendary item, while also doing his best to become stronger thanks to Shino's spell abilities as a healer. Although he wasn't really that social with his fellow members Tabby and Sakisaka, he enjoyed his time with Shino most of all, even though the time they spent alone together was brief due to her being with Ovan most of the time. Nevertheless, the times they were together was something he cherished because he felt that with her, he could enjoy the game and her company. She showed him the lighter side of The World instead of the darker one he was introduced to. And when she was close to him, it put his mind at ease and made him open his closed and wounded heart, even when he returned to the real world. He knew he was slowly but surely falling in love with her, and he didn't want to stop his descent. But despite Shino's friendly disposition with him, at times he truly felt distant from her. And it was mainly because of his leader. He realized it most of all when he showed her the secret of the towers in Coite-Bodher during the search for the virus cores.

"We have to tell Ovan!" Haseo said when he showed her the secret of the towers.

"**I'll** tell him." Shino said strongly, making him turn his head and grumble a bit. It wasn't what she said that made him feel disappointed, it was how she said it. "What will you do if you find the Key of the Twilight?" She inquired as if she were changing the subject.

"I don't know. What about you?" He asked back.

"I think I'll…keep it a secret." She replied playfully with a smile.

"What do you mean?" He questioned as he returned her smile. His smile faded a moment later, and he decided to ask the question he asked when they first met. "Tell me Shino, what are you to Ovan?" He asked her seriously.

"No more than an acquaintance…in the real world." The cleric responds hesitantly as her smile faded and she turned her head away. Haseo stared at her and said nothing, even though he knew she was lying. "I'm going now. I have to go let Ovan know." She said as she turned to leave.

"Oh, I'll go with you." Haseo said enthusiastically.

"No Haseo. You keep looking for the virus cores." Shino requested as she shook her head. Haseo frowned sadly, feeling as if she was trying to get rid of him, though he knew that she probably didn't mean to say it that way. "I'm asking you…follow Ovan's wishes. Thank you…" She told him as she headed to the Chaos Gate.

"Follow Ovan's wishes…" He says out loud with a hint of envy, with the frown still on his face after she left. Though he appreciated the thank you he received from the girl, his heart still hurt over her words. Despite this, he continued to help with the virus cores, knowing that doing this would make her happy and fulfill Ovan's wishes like she asked him to.

His efforts bore fruit, and the brigade managed to acquire all of the virus cores. They managed to hold off TaN during their battle with them at the Lost Ground, but just when it seemed that the key would be in their hands, Ovan disappeared without a trace. The action hits the team hard, especially Shino. And though nobody else really noticed it, Haseo could see right through her. So he did the only thing he could, he went to her side.

As Shino sat at the edge of the Arche Koeln waterfall during the night, she let out a heavy and painful sigh until she heard footsteps behind her. She gasped and turned her head around as her face lit up, hoping that Ovan had returned to her. But when she sees Haseo's face instead, her smile diminishes slightly. An act that doesn't go unnoticed to the young man.

"Did you think I was Ovan?" Haseo asked her with a slight tone of disappointment in his voice.

"No, you just surprised me a little bit." Shino replies as she turns her head away from him and looks down.

'You're a bad liar Shino…' He thought depressingly. "About Ovan. You're friends with him in the real world, aren't you?" He inquired.

"Yes." She answered with a nod.

"Hmm…" Haseo says as he walks toward her a few steps. "I know that I really don't have the right to ask about your relationship, but have you tried contacting him in reality?" He asks out of concern.

"It's been useless. I have tried to reach him, but I got no reply." The Harvest Cleric responded regrettably.

"Hmm…I see…" The rogue said in a melancholic voice. Shino said nothing and sat up, walking towards Haseo with her head down and her hair covering her eyes. He lifts his head in surprise when she walks up to him.

"I'm so sorry…" Shino said sincerely, but joylessly when she looked at him with sad eyes.

"Huh?" Haseo said confusedly, wondering why she apologized.

"It's just…I have to stay strong." She explained.

"You know Shino, you are staying strong." He told her while smiling at her amiably. Shino gives him a sad smile before lowering her head and stepping closer to him. His eyes widened in shock at the move, but he relaxes quickly. They stay that way for several minutes, his gaze never leaving her, until she finally lets go and leans her head on his shoulder, her wings flapping in the wind.

"Can I stay like this…just for a while?" The young woman requests softly with a gentle smile.

'You can stay like this forever…if you want to Shino.' The young man replied in his mind and heart. He wishes he could say it out loud to her so he could ease her fears and sadness, but he knows he can't. Because he knew she was thinking of him, and was probably hoping that it was Ovan doing this instead of him. That thought depressed him more as he lowered his gaze and looked at her while letting out a sigh. But he decided to take a chance; for fear that this moment would never happen again.

Slowly, but hesitantly, he lifts his arms and carefully wraps them around her waist. Shino is obviously surprised by Haseo's bold movement and lets out a quiet gasp as she lifts her head to look at him.

"H-Haseo…?" She says in a slightly startled tone. The moment he hears her voice, he releases her and steps back, silently cursing himself for doing something so foolish.

"I-I'm sorry Shino. I…I just…" He mumbled as he turned his head away in shame.

'Haseo…' The young woman thought to herself as a pang of guilt hit her heart for ruining the moment. When she sees his face, all she could see is a look of sadness and worry etched across his features. It was then that she realized his comforting intentions, and it made her smile inwardly since she knew it was difficult for him to express his inner feelings. She lowered her head back down and walked back to him. Only this time, she buried her head in the crook of his shoulder instead of just leaning on it and wraps her arms around him, accepting his warmth. He is stunned by her action, but he just returns her embrace gently, but firmly.

"You're very kind Haseo. Thank you…" She says quietly as she moves closer to him. The adept rogue said nothing. Words didn't need to be said, since he wasn't really good at them, especially in matters of the heart. He was just content that his action would ease a little bit of the burden she was now forced to carry.

After TaN was disbanded due to Shino's information left to her by Ovan, she eventually disbanded the brigade as well after Sakisaka and Tabby quit. She vowed to wait for Ovan's return, to the point of changing her character's appearance to black to show her resolve. She was willing to face it alone, but Haseo showed his support and care for Shino by standing by her side, saying that he would wait with her. This chivalrous act was rewarded as he became closer to the one he loved, not only in the game, but in the real world when she gave him her phone number.

However, even after all of his progress, Ovan was still an obstacle to him. For every time he wanted to get closer to her and earn a place in her heart, the man's name showed up in one matter or another until it became about him. Though he never hinted Shino about it, it truly stymied him that as close as he was to her, she was still so far away. Eventually, that frustration came to a head when they walked together in Mac Anu.

"Oh, just hang on a second." Shino said as she went to a plant stand.

"You like those?" Haseo inquired as he walked next to her while she leaned down to look at the plants.

"Mmmhmm…" The young woman replied as she turned her head slightly to look at him.

"You had one at the Twilight Brigade's Home." The young man confirmed.

"I don't have much room for plants in my apartment, so I thought I'd at least like to have one in the game. I asked Ovan if it was okay. He said that he liked them too." She explained happily when she mentioned the steam gunner's name.

"I see…" He said in a slightly depressed voice. 'Ovan…It's always Ovan with you…' He thought as the anger he kept inside him started to come out.

"My place is cramped. I live by myself." Shino told him.

"Hmm…?" Haseo mumbled as he shook his head from his personal thoughts to focus back on the conversation.

"I have so many bookshelves, but not enough space for other things. Dracaena Massangeana, the tree of happiness. When I live in a bigger house, that's the first thing I'm gonna buy." The Harvest cleric said.

"Well, when that happens, I'll buy you one as a present." The Adept Rogue promised her which made her gasp in surprise.

"Sometimes, you say the same things as Ovan." She said. In the real world, the young man felt a sharp pain in his heart as she hurt him unknowingly once again.

"The same as Ovan…Right…" He said quietly with rejection laced throughout his voice. He was truly glad he was able to keep a straight face in the game, though that wasn't the case in the real world.

"Let's go." Shino said as she stood up and started to walk away. But Haseo made no effort to move and just looked at her sadly, this time his personal features showing on his character. When the Harvest Cleric sensed that Haseo wasn't near her, she stopped and slowly walked back to him. "Haseo, is something the matter?" She asked in concern. Seeing the worried look on her face, the adept rogue quickly closes his eyes and looks away from her, for fear if he did look at her, his resolve would fade and that he would just bottle his feelings up like he always did. He didn't want to do that anymore. He wanted to let this anger and pain that was swelling within him out, otherwise he couldn't go on and it would make him go crazy.

"Why? Why Shino?" Haseo said in a slightly hard tone as he turns around so that his back is showing to her.

"Huh?" The young woman said in befuddlement.

"Why do you always push me away?" He asks her bluntly as he turns to look at her face.

"What do you mean? I don't understand." She said honestly.

"All the time we've been together, like those times at Arche Koeln, when I was…close to you. I…I wanted to hold you…comfort you… and tell you I was here, that I care about you, Shino. I wanted to tell you that you weren't alone, and that I wasn't going to leave you. But…I knew that I couldn't. Because all of those times I was by your side…Ovan was the only person on your mind…" Haseo said depressingly as he opened his heart to her. Shino looks at him, completely stunned at his words.

"Haseo…that's…that's not true…" Shino said hesitantly as she looked away from him slightly.

"Don't lie to me!" The Adept Rogue shouted in a much angrier tone than he wanted to. The young woman looked at him with widened eyes and gasped in shock and disbelief. In all the time she has known him, she never saw this side of him before, and it honestly scared her. "Do you remember that day when I came back and I turned you down when you asked me to join the brigade? Do you remember what you said to me?" He asked her in a calmer voice. The cleric nodded as her mind went back to that advice she gave him before she left.

_Flashback_

"_Here, I'll give you my member address. This is a registered one. Don't hesitate to contact me if you need to." Shino said to Haseo as she turned to walk away. "Oh and…" She started to say as she stopped and turned her head back to him._

"_Hmm…?" Haseo said._

"_When you're talking with someone, you should at least try to look them in the eye." The young woman advised._

"_In the eye? Why should I bother looking a CG character in the eye? This is just a game." The adept rogue said matter-of-factly._

"_So what if it's a game? You should do it specifically because it's a game. You don't want to talk to someone who's looking the other way, do you?" She asked him._

"_I really don't get it." He told her while looking downward._

"_You know, like babies. They can't talk, so they watch their mother's face very closely." Shino told him, making the young man gasp in astonishment. "I'm sure you can do something that even a baby can do, can't you?" She added, making him frown angrily._

"_Well, see you later!" Shino chuckles as she walked away._

_Flashback end_

"I never forgot those words you told me that day, even though you made fun of me because of it. But even though you told me that, when it came to Ovan and you, you couldn't do the same and look me in the eye." Haseo said bitterly. Shino lowered her head, feeling slightly hypocritical, knowing that what he said was true. "It was always about _Ovan's_ wishes, _Ovan's_ goals, and _Ovan's_ feelings with you! You taught me about the joy of understanding the unknown and the excitement of discovering the mysterious. But how can you expect me to do that, when you won't even give me a chance to understand you, or for you to notice my feelings?" He asked her as more of his anger and frustration came out. The façade that Shino held started to fall apart as her fragile side started to come out.

"Haseo…why are you…saying things like this?" Shino asked as her voice started to break up.

"Because of what you do…" The Adept Rogue replied with a look of hurt on his face. She looks at him as if she didn't understand what he meant, which increases the painful look on his face as he stared at the ground.

"I know…how you feel about Ovan. I get that. I'm not trying to replace him or make you forget about him. Ovan is my friend too, and I will wait for him alongside you. I just…can't stand to know that even if I'm right next to you, when I look you in the eye and see you, that you'll never **see** me or let me into your heart. Just **once** Shino…just once, I want you to see me as Haseo, not as someone who's connected to Ovan. And that when he does return…that everything we did together, all the things we shared with each other wasn't all for nothing…" He finished with his voice above a whisper at the end as he turns away from her and lowers his head.

"Haseo…" The young woman said dismally as she saw the part of Haseo's heart he never showed to anyone, not even to Ovan. Shino walks up to him slowly and reaches out to touch him, like she did when they first met, but instead of acceptance, he forcefully shrugs her away.

"**Don't touch me! I wish I never met you!**" Haseo roared as he looked at her with his face full of rage. The cleric is stunned to the core of her soul from Haseo's hurtful words and steps away from him with her face full of fear. When the young man sees the look on her face, he gasps in surprise at his words and disgracefully lowers his head. He truly didn't mean what he just said, but the dark feelings of anger and frustration that he kept inside him got the best of him. "I…I'm sorry Shino…I didn't mean…" He mumbles in a low voice, not knowing what else to say for acting like a jerk. "I'm sorry Shino. I can't do this. I…I need to be alone right now." He tells her, logging out a few seconds later. Shino says nothing and looks at the spot where Haseo was only moments ago and lowers her head sadly as some tears fall out of her eyes not only in the game, but in the real world as well.

"No, Haseo. I'm the one who should apologize…" Shino whispered before logging off as well.

A couple of days have passed, and the two of them haven't spoken to each other since that day. When she had a free moment, Shino checked her messages on her phone and computer, hoping he would call her or send an e-mail like he did at least once a day since she gave him her number, but it was to no avail. She also tried searching for him the next day in the game only to find out that he hasn't logged in since then. During this time, she looked into her heart and thought long and hard about Haseo's words and feelings, even when she focuses on her health and school work at college. One night, as she looks out the window of her cramped apartment, gazing at the stars, her mind drifts off to the conversation she had with her old comrade Bset on the day she quit the game.

_Flashback_

"_It's funny, I honestly didn't think I'd come back here again." Bset said as the female steam gunner showed her guest key._

"_Bset, welcome home." Shino greeted with a smile._

"_No. Actually, I'm thinking of quitting. So…I wanted to come back here and say goodbye." She explained._

"_I see…" The cleric said with disappointment._

"_Do you mind if I ask you something Shino?" Bset requested as she leaned on the wall next to her._

"_What?" Shino inquired._

"_I want to know what you think of Haseo." The woman asked._

"_Huh?" She said with a nervous tone in her voice when she heard his name._

"_He's a good kid. Don't you think?" Bset questioned._

"_Y-Yes…" Shino answered in a flustered voice as the times when she was close to the adept rogue, especially in Arche Koeln suddenly flashed into her mind. 'W-why is my heart pounding?' She thought to herself as she placed a hand on her chest and felt her face heating up in the real world._

"_Why don't you depend on him, and forget about following Ovan?" The woman told her._

"_I can't do that. I like Haseo, but Ovan is very special to me." The Harvest Cleric replied with a straight face._

"_I guess I'll never be able to top you…" She said with her eyes closed._

"_I'm sorry about that." The young woman said with a small smile._

"_Don't worry about it. In fact, you actually help me make up my mind. Well, I'll be going then." Bset said as she turned away from Shino._

"_Okay." She said as her comrade started to walk away. But the female steam gunner stops a moment later and looks up as if lost in thought._

"_Shino…there's something I need to say to you…woman to woman. And what I say here stays between us and never leaves this room." Bset said suddenly in a very serious tone as she turned to look at her._

"_What is it? Why are you so serious all of a sudden?" Shino asked with worry as she stood up._

"_Have you ever heard of the saying 'You may only be one person to the world. But you may also be the world to one person.'?" The woman inquired._

"_Yes. Why do you ask?" The Harvest Cleric asked with a raised eyebrow, wondering why she asked._

"_The reason I ask is this. I know that Ovan is very special to you, and that you're worried about him. But did you ever stop to think that you may be very special to someone else? Or if that someone was very worried about you?" She asked cryptically._

"_W-what?" Shino said in confusion._

"_Just as I thought…" Bset said with a disapproving sigh. "Look Shino, I never said you should forget about Ovan. I just said that you should forget about __**following**__ him. There is a big difference, you know." She told her as she crossed her arms._

"_But…" Shino said as she frowned and lowered her head. The female steam gunner sighed again and just shook her head in exhaustion._

"_I'll tell you a secret. You probably think the reason I battled alongside you and the others was because of Ovan. But you would be wrong. It was because of Haseo." Bset admitted._

"_What?!" The cleric said in surprise as her eyes widened._

"_It's true. When I left the guild, I didn't want to think or wanted anyone to know that I was ever associated with this place. But that changed when I met Haseo. It was the same way with Gord. Were it not for us meeting him, we probably wouldn't have come there at all." She explained. Shino turned her head slightly and sensed the truth in her words since it was thanks to Haseo that Gord stood by the brigade and Ovan instead of against them like he was originally. "Heh, who knows? As deep as my feelings are for Ovan, if Haseo had joined when I was still part of the brigade, I might've fallen in love with him instead. But since I'm quitting today, I guess that doesn't matter now…" The woman said with a small smile._

"_Bset…" Shino said quietly as the female steam gunner walked up to her and placed a hand on her shoulder._

"_Shino, even though I'm leaving this game and moving on, a part of me will always care about Ovan. But Haseo has a special gift that Ovan doesn't have, and will never have. And it's that gift that will always make me and Gord grateful to the kid. Even if you try to deny it, deep in your heart, I know that you know what I mean. I'm sure Ovan knows too…" Bset said softly. Shino remained silent and looked away from her. The woman let go of her shoulder and started to head to the exit. _

"_Give my best to Haseo when you see him. And think about what I told you today. That is my gift to him. Just remember Shino. Those who give affection and devotion with all of their heart and soul to you are truly special, and truly deserving of your love. Even if it's not from the person we want it from." She said in a sagely tone as she looked back at the cleric one last time with a warm smile. And with that, Bset left the headquarters of the Twilight Brigade and The World, never to return. All Shino could do is look on in silence, as a name resonated in her head. A name that wasn't Ovan._

'_Haseo…' She thought as she went to back to her plant and sat quietly._

_Flashback end_

Shino couldn't deny that there was truth in the words of her former rival to Ovan. Haseo had always supported her since the beginning. And even though she had thanked him for it, she realized that she never truly showed her appreciation to him, as her thoughts were constantly on the man who told her before he left not to worry. Not to mention that all the intimate moments she had with the Adept Rogue was something she **never** did with her close friend. When she thought of it that way, she could understand his frustrations and his feelings. And it made her mind go back to what she said that started their fight.

"_**Sometimes, you say the same things as Ovan."**_

"I can't believe I said that to him without thinking about his feelings. How thoughtless and insensitive of me…" Shino said out loud in a melancholic voice as she covered her mouth with her hand as another thought came to her over what she said in Hulle Granz Cathedral.

"_**I'm not like her. Aura lost hope for this world and decided that she had to run away."**_

"I'm such a fool. I've been running after Ovan for so long, that I ignored and ran away from my friends, and the one who gave me hope and kept it in my heart. I would've broken apart along with the guild if it wasn't for Haseo. He didn't owe anything to me; he chose to wait alongside me. He's always made me happy when I was with him. And though it was difficult for him, he reached out to me. I guess...I always knew that he loved me. And yet I…" The young woman falls on her bed as she feels the weight of guilt fall upon her heart. "Oh Haseo, forgive me for running away from you…" She choked as she cried herself to sleep.

The next day, after eating and washing up, she logged into The World and checked the forums to look for something, anything that would show that she appreciated him. She then notices the keywords to a field area that has a rare item at the Beast Statue. But what captures her attention the most was one word. Honeysuckle. She smiled and knew that it was the perfect thing, and that she had knowledge of flowers since she was a plant lover. Once that was set, she sent the young man an e-mail.

_To: Haseo_

_Sender: Shino_

_Subject: We need to talk_

_Dear Haseo,_

_I know we haven't spoken to each other since our argument a few days ago. But I think that we need to talk face to face. We can't leave things like this between us. Whatever you decide to do afterwards, I'll respect your decision. Please, meet me in front of Mac Anu's Chaos Gate in an hour. Please…Haseo…_

_Shino_

And with that, she hit send and hoped for the best. But just like before, she knew he would come, just like she knew he would join the brigade.

_Mac Anu's Chaos Gate- Fifty-nine minutes later_

As the Harvest Cleric waited outside the gate, she clasped her hands together as her heart pounded in her chest and silently prayed that he got the e-mail and that he came to see her. She felt kind of silly doing it, but she immediately shut that thought out. A minute later, her prayers were answered and he showed up.

"Thank you for coming Haseo. I knew that you would." Shino greeted in a gentle voice along with a warm smile as she walked up to him. The adept rogue looked at her briefly before feeling that pit of guilt and shame that was in him since he logged out when he spoke to her.

"Sh-Shino…" Haseo said sadly as he looked at the ground. Shino frowned slightly and wasn't surprised by his reaction. "Shino…I…about what I said…" He tried his hardest to speak, but the lump that was present in his throat prevented him from doing so. Realizing that she needed to diffuse his nervousness, she took his hands into hers like she always did to calm him down, and gave it them a gentle squeeze.

"It's alright, Haseo. Just calm down." The cleric told him in a soothing voice. After taking a couple of deep breaths so that he wouldn't hyperventilate, he did just that. "I know that we have a lot to talk about, but we need to make a stop first." She explained.

"A stop?" He asked.

"Yes. There's an item that we need to get in a field area at the Beast Statue. Will you please join me?" She requested in a polite tone.

"Are you sure Shino?" He questioned hesitantly. She lifted one of her hands and gently touched his cheek, which made his eyes widen.

"There's no one else I want with me but you Haseo…" Shino said in a voice that would melt even the coldest heart. It immediately made the young man's face heat up, in both 'worlds'. He simply nodded, which made her smile widen. She released him and started to put in the keywords for the dungeon. And just before they left, Haseo spoke.

"Um…Shino…?" Haseo called out.

"What is it?" She asked gently.

"If we run into monsters…will you…?" He started.

"Don't worry, I promise I'll heal you." She said with a giggle as her mind went back to the time when she playfully told him that she would never heal him again. When he saw him breathe a sigh of relief, she laughed at him as they headed to the area.

_Beast Statue- Several minutes later_

"We made it…" Haseo said as they walked towards to the statue.

"At our levels, it wasn't very difficult." Shino said truthfully.

"I'll open up the chest, and then we can head back." The Adept Rogue said as he walked up to the box, but the cleric walked up to him and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"No Haseo. Please…let me do it…" The Harvest Cleric requested. Haseo raised an eye in confusion, but he didn't object as she walked past him. She opened the chest and pulled out a pair of twin golden blades, holding them in her hands. She walked up to him and looked into his eyes, giving him her best smile. "Haseo, these are very rare swords. This is my gift to you for all that you've done for me. I know it's not much, but they're yours :)." She told him softly as she started to blush in both 'worlds' after placing a smiley at the end.

"Shino…" Haseo said in a complete daze. Shino couldn't help but laugh at his expression on his face. Without realizing it, he held out his hands and she placed the weapons in them. He looked down at them, and then he looked at her. "Are you…sure about letting me have these?" He inquired in a flustered voice.

"Yes, please take them. Really, I want you to have them." Shino replied.

"Thanks. I…uh…" The adept rogue stammered as he rubbed the back of his head. The young woman smiled and closed her eyes as a tinge of pink crossed her flawless character's cheeks. She turned around, held her hands behind her back and giggled like an embarrassed school girl does when talking with her crush.

"Hey Haseo. Do you know what those Twin Swords, Honeysuckle, symbolize?" Shino asked in a cute voice.

"Symbolize?" Haseo asked back as he looked at the weapons name, remembering that it was also the name of a flower.

"Yes." She confirmed.

"No. What?" He inquired.

"Devoted affection." The cleric answered as she turned her head slightly and looked at him while smiling warmly.

"…W-Wha?!" Haseo stuttered while blushing fiercely, making her let out another schoolgirl giggle. The young man's face glowed red for a few more minutes before it became downcast. "No…" He said depressingly.

"What's wrong Haseo?" Shino asked as her smile disappeared when she turned to look at his painful face.

"I…I can't accept these Shino. I was such a stupid, selfish jerk to you the last time. I said that I would wait with you for Ovan, but all I did was leave you behind, just like he did." He said regrettably as he stared at the ground. Shino lowered her head and frowned sadly as a sharp pain clutched her heart. "I didn't mean what I said when I told you that I wish I never met you. I'm grateful that I did. I would've left this game a long time ago if it wasn't for you. I just…wanted to get to know you better. But after what I said and the way I acted, I don't deserve anything from you. Not even your forgiveness." He finished as he shut his eyes and clutched the rare weapons very hard while his body shook. It was then that he felt a soft grip on each of his hands. He opened his eyes and saw the young woman gaze into his CG red pupils.

"You're wrong, Haseo. You deserve these and more. Much more." Shino told him honestly.

"What?" He said in befuddlement. Shino took a deep breath as she started to speak.

"After our fight that day, I logged out too and did a lot of thinking in the real world. Especially about…you and me. I thought about what you said, and you were right. I was so focused on Ovan that I didn't realize that I was hurting you with my words and my actions. It took me a while to realize, but I want you to know that I **truly** care about you Haseo. You give me the hope I need to go on, and the joy I need to smile and laugh when we're together. Not only in this world, but in the real world too. I know that if something is on my mind or troubling my heart, that you'll be there to comfort me and support me." Tears started to pour out of her eyes as she continued.

"As important as Ovan is to me, he's never completely opened his heart to me in all the time I've known him. But you did, without hesitation. But I just ignored it and kept my heart closed off from everyone, except him. And because of it, I almost lost you too. And if I lost you, I would never forgive myself. And without you…I would truly be alone…" She said as she wrapped her arms around him while burying her head in his chest.

"Shino…" Haseo said sympathetically as he soaked in all that the girl released from her fragile heart. Without hesitation, just like at Arche Koeln, he held her in his arms and pulled her close as her sobs racked her body.

"I'm so sorry, Haseo. Forgive me for ignoring and hurting your feelings." The cleric sniffed as she strengthened her grip.

"Shh…don't say anything Shino…" He told her softly as he lifted her up and carried her bridal style out of the chamber so that they could find a peaceful spot. At the field, he found a tree and leaned on it, making sure that he didn't disturb her as she held onto him tightly and sat on his lap. After he sat down, he took off her black cleric hat, and just continued to hold her. Shino responded to his gentle touch and leaned her body on his for an undetermined amount of time with her eyes closed as a gentle wind blew.

"Are you alright now, Shino?" Haseo asked quietly some time later.

"Yes. I feel much better now." Shino replied softly as she kept her eyes closed and her arms wrapped around him.

"I'm sorry Shino…" The Adept Rogue apologized sincerely.

"I'm sorry too Haseo…" The Harvest Cleric apologized truthfully.

"Do you forgive me?" He questioned with a hint of fear in his voice.

"Can you forgive me?" She countered.

"Of course I can, Shino." Haseo replied without hesitation.

"Thank you…I forgive you too Haseo…" Shino said happily as she lifted her head and smiled at him while opening her eyes slightly.

"I promise I won't ever leave you like that again." The Adept Rogue swore to her.

"I know. I trust you. And I promise I won't take advantage of your feelings." She said with a deep blush as she lifted her hand and caressed his cheek.

"Shino…" He said as he smiled at her while blushing as well.

"Ha Ha. It's funny. A few days ago, I would have been embarrassed to do this, since I'm not very good at expressing my inner feelings. But it just feels so natural, even though we're not in the real world." Shino chuckled lightly as she caressed his cheek again.

"I feel the same way. I've been alone most of my life since my Mom died. And my Dad was barely at home and rarely visits me at my apartment, so it's…not always easy for me to get close to others. You're the first person who's ever gotten this close to me since my Mom." Haseo agreed.

"I know how you feel. I lost my father when I was young and my mother barely drops by. And because I was always sick, I really didn't have any friends. The only time I've ever opened up to someone was when Phyllo introduced me to Ovan." Shino revealed to him.

"I see." He said.

"I guess we have more in common than I thought. I'm sorry I laughed at you and called you a baby back then. I didn't mean to make you feel bad." She said softly with sad eyes.

"It's okay. I can be pretty stubborn and a bit of a jerk sometimes." The Adept Rogue admitted sheepishly.

"Well, after what happened to you when you first came here, I can't say that I blame you. I was PK'ed too on my first day." The Harvest Cleric revealed as she turned her head slightly.

"Really?!" Haseo asked with his eyes wide with shock.

"Yes. That's why I am so grateful to Ovan. I truly admire him." Shinoanswered fondly.

"I can tell. He must be very special to you." He said with a somber tone as he turned his head away. Shino gently moved the hand that was caressing the young man's cheek and moved it to the opposite direction, turning his face to so he could look at her.

"Yes Haseo, Ovan is special to me. But he's not special in the way you are to me. I know that now…" She reassured him in her gentle voice as she moved her hand back and cupped the cheek she was caressing.

"S-Shino…" The Adept Rogue stammered as his face turned red as a beet.

"Haseo…can I ask you something?" The Harvest Cleric inquired as she closed her eyes and started to blush.

"What is it?" Haseo asked.

"Do you…love me Haseo?" Shino asked nervously as her blush deepened.

"Huh? I…uh…" The young man said as his heart began to pound like a jackhammer, not realizing that Shino's heart was doing the same.

"I'm sorry this is so sudden Haseo. But I…need to know before we go any further. I… just need to be sure." The young woman said as she looked in his eyes desperately. Sensing the tenseness in her voice, he knew that he couldn't avoid the answer. She finally opened her heart to him, and it was only fair that he did the same. He took her right hand and grasped it firmly, yet gently while looking her straight in the eyes.

"Yes Shino…I love you. I loved you the moment I took this hand that day." Haseo told her honestly with the widest smile he could muster. The Harvest Cleric's eyes began to moisten and she smiled at him happily as the loneliness and sadness she held in her heart vanished in that instant.

"I love you too…Haseo…" Shino said joyfully. Nothing more needed to be said as he begun to lean down towards her face while the young woman lifted hers. But just as their lips were about to meet, he stopped. "What's the matter?" She asked when he stopped.

"Misaki Ryou." Haseo said.

"Huh?" Shino said in confusion.

"That's my name in the real world." He explained.

"I see. My name is Nanao Shino." She told him with a cheerful expression.

"Nice to meet you, Shino." As he smiled back. And with that, their lips met in their first 'kiss' while they held the hands that reached out to each other that day. And even though only their characters in The World were kissing, at their homes in reality, where they were physically separated, their eyes were closed simultaneously, and they felt the love and feelings from that kiss within their hearts.

_Epilogue- A couple of days later- Real world_

On a sunny Saturday afternoon, a nervous seventeen year old with brown hair and wearing a brown open jacket, white shirt, black slacks and shoes nervously knocked on the door with a slim gift box in one of his hands.

"Who is it?" A soft voice called out from behind the door.

"It me Shino. It's Ryou." He called out. The door opened a minute later and the young man gasped at the girl he fell in love with in the real world. She was wearing a nice purple blouse and a long grey skirt that complimented her short hair. Though this was the first time seeing her, he immediately recognized her smile and it made him blush.

"Good afternoon Ryou. It's nice to finally meet you." Shino beamed as she walked up and embraced him in a warm hug.

"Me too Shino." Ryou said cheerfully as he hugged her back with one hand while holding the box with the other. After she released him, he moved the box up front for her to see. "This is for you." He said as he scratched the back of his head.

"What is it?" She asked curiously.

"Go ahead and open it." He said. She did as she was told and opened the top of it to reveal a single beautiful flower in a mini vase.

"Ryou…this is a Honeysuckle." Shino said in astonishment.

"Yeah, it took me a while to find one. I had to search three florists for them." Ryou admitted as the young woman closed her eyes and whiffed in the sweet scent of the flower. "I…I know it's not the Dracaena Massangeana. But I-I'll keep my promise and get you one when you get a bigger apartment. I just hope that you have room for it." He said nervously. The twenty year old girl opened her eyes and walked up to her official boyfriend and gave him a gentle and official first kiss.

"I'll make room for this. Thank you Ryou. It's a wonderful gift." Shino said honestly before breaking the kiss.

"Thanks Shino." He said softly.

"I have to do a couple of quick things before we leave for our date today. Would you…like to come in?" She asked shyly.

"I'd like that Shino." Ryou replied honestly. She smiled warmly at him and opened her door to let him in. "Oh, by the way. Did you know that Honeysuckles have two other meanings?" He told her.

"Oh really? What are they?" Shino inquired.

"Happiness and Bonds of Love." Ryou said with a blush.

"I didn't know that. Thanks for telling me…Ryou." She said in a romantic voice as she put down the flower in the vase and gave him a passionate kiss while he held her close.

"I love you Shino." Ryou said after breaking the kiss.

"I love you too Ryou." Shino said. And with one hand, he closed her door. They would continue to wait together for Ovan's return. But until then, Haseo and Shino would live with the bonds of love, devoted affection and happiness they had made together, in two worlds.

Author's note 2: And thus ends my HaseoxShino one-shot. My apologies if the two of them were a bit OOC, but it was necessary for the fluff. I hope you dothackers (And you undercover romantics. You know who ye be ;).) enjoyed this. To my fans and friends in the Naruverse, don't worry. I'm not going anywhere. But in the meantime, I hope you fellow inhabitants of The World and HaseoxShino fans will Read, Enjoy, and Review. Let me know if you like it. Once again, I give a special shout-out to Hylianinja for making those HaseoxShino fics and for Kish's Kittie for making one as well. Hope to see more fics (And pictures, in Hylianinja's case.) of this pairing soon. Until then, I hope you dothackers are pleased with my contribution to the .Hack world. May the grace of the Twilight Dragon be with all of you ;). Later :)!


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